Contingency
by Rikayu-chan
Summary: Things happen for a reason, and sometimes the resulting events are quite unexpected. A series of connected drabbles. SessKag.
1. Seeing Red

**Disclaimer:** I do hereby disclaim any right or responsibilities for the characters used in this story. All rights are reserved for the respective creator of _Inuyasha,_ Rumiko Takahashi.

* * *

**Seeing Red**

The air was tinged with the metallic smell of blood. As much as he was hardened by countless battles throughout his lifetime, it was unnerving. Most especially when it was the scent his own blood that drifted up to his nose.

Sesshoumaru cringed inwardly as he attempted to shift his right side, pain shooting up from the bloody gash on across his chest. His vision blurred and he silently cursed as he had no one to blame but himself for his current injuries. In battle, there was no room for mistakes and the Lord of the Western Lands was expected to make none.

As the taiyoukai closed his eyes, the faint scent of salt wafted up towards him, getting stronger with each second that passed by. Then as the sound of footsteps reached his ears, his immediately eyes snapped open, golden spheres tinted with a deep crimson red. A feral growl escaped his lips as his eyes narrowed dangerously at the intruder.

The footsteps stopped and the demon instantly recognized the girl standing across from him as his half-brother's little wench. He let out a deep growl and watched as the girl took a step back, but did not run away as he had predicted. Defiantly, the girl took a step forward. "You're hurt," she pointed out quietly.

He bared his teeth and his chest rumbled menacingly at the girl, letting out a throaty growl the more she stepped closer to his person. The scent of fear that had first rolled off of the girl when she had first stepped through the trees had disappeared. "Let me help you," she said, but as she reached her hand down to him, he struck out at her with his claws and flashed his crimson eyes at her angrily.

For a moment, the girl drew back, her hand going up to her chest. But again, she took a step closer and then dropped the large yellow pack she'd been carrying with her. She knelt in front of him and dared to stare directly into his eyes. "Please," she said, "Let me help you."

His eyes scanned over her appearance as the girl knelt. She wore a strange white and green kimono that was disgustingly inappropriate she was apparently unarmed, the bow and arrows he had seen her use in the fights, absent. _'How foolish,'_ he remarked inwardly before his eyes settled on the seemingly out-of-place stream of tears that flowed down the girl's cheeks that seemed to be defiantly seeping their way downwards despite the determined look on the girl's face.

"Leave, human," the taiyoukai ordered. He absolutely did not want anything to do with to do with her.

She shook her head and did not move from her spot. "No."

Sesshoumaru let out a growl in protest but as he tried to move himself once more, an immense pain shot up through his entire body and he tensed, his eyes growing a deeper red. As he doubled over, he felt the girl's arms catch him and the faint sound of her voice calling out to him then everything went black.

In what seemed like after only a few moments, the demon lord slowly forced his eyes open, his body throbbing terribly. The setting sun cast an orange glow to the canopy up above and he realized that he had lost consciousness for the last few hours. As he tried to push himself up on his one arm, his gi shift down his torso to reveal that his chest wound had been cleaned and bandaged with material unfamiliar to him. Then, soft hands placed themselves on his shoulder and helped him straighten to a more upright sitting position. Immediately, Sesshoumaru's golden eyes flicked to the young woman sitting next to him.

"You shouldn't move too much or your wounds won't heal properly."

The demon opened his mouth to speak, but his throat was so dry that his voice was too raspy to even form distinct words. As he tried to force out speech, a cup of water was brought to his mouth. His parched lips almost hungrily welcomed the liquid and when the cup was emptied, the girl pulled away and disposed of the cup into her pack.

"Human," Sesshoumaru started, but the girl hurriedly interrupted him.

"Just hold still for a moment," she said before she suddenly pressed a white cloth against an open wound on his right arm. He hissed as his wound stung, a sharp acidic scent coming from the cloth.

The girl pulled the cloth away, discarded it and then buried her hands into her pack, searching for something. But as she came up empty-handed, the girl chewed on her bottom lip. Her hands strayed to the red cloth that hung around her neck and she paused, looking down at it before she untied the cloth and bit onto one side, pulling and ripping it into thin strips. She then wrapped it securely around the wound on his arm and tied the end into a neat knot.

"I'll come back tomorrow," she said quickly before standing up and turning to leave.

"Miko, do not presume that I am in your debt. Your assistance was wholly unnessecary."

The girl paused but did not turn to look at him. "I'm not asking for anything in return," she said quietly as she turned her blue eyes towards him. "I am the one who's in your debt."

The shouts of her comrades and the unmistakable voice of the demon lord's half-brother could be heard in the distance and suddenly, the girl's face saddened. With a polite bow, the girl then turned and disappeared into the darkening forest.

The next day, the girl returned only to find that Sesshoumaru was gone. But on the base of the tree where the taiyoukai sat the day before, was a neatly folded red cloth. The miko bent down to pick up the cloth and rubbed her fingers against the silky texture, the cotton cloth she'd used the day before nowhere to be found. With one last look around her, she tied the red silk around her neck and walk away, whispering a small 'thank you' into the air.

* * *

**End Note:** Done for Priestess Skye's Weekly Challenge on Dokuga. Theme: Ribbon. Word Length: 1,031.


	2. Solace

**Solace**

Her hand fingered the silkyness of the red cloth that hung around her neck, the threads gleaming beautifully in the moonlight. The wind pushed lightly against her back and her raven hair swirled around her face as she looked up at the imaginary path in front of her. She walked forward, spots of moonlight and shadows dancing across her body the deeper she went into the forest.

It had been about three weeks that night Kagome had stumbled upon an injured Lord of the West. She'd treated his wounds and when she returned to her friends the next day, things had resumed to the way they were, as if the fight with Inuyasha that had sent her running through the forest with tears in her eyes hadn't happened at all. Kagome never spoke about the instance with the demon lord and tucked the memory into the very back of her mind. However as the days passed, the girl became restless and unconsciously, began to take these midnight walks to seek moment of quiet to herself away from her responsibility to collect the shards of the Shikon no Tama as well as much needed time away from her hanyou companion.

After a few more minutes of walking past tree after tree, the young miko broke through the forest line to a cliff edge and was greeted by the breathtaking sight of a glistening river snaking across the valley of forest and mountains below as the dark, night sky twinkled with stars above. The cold night air carressed her skin and the girl felt herself close her eyes, relishing in the complete feel of serenity and peace of mind. Her eyes snapped open, however, when she felt a tug on her spirit and immediately looked to the side into the direction of the being she hadn't previously noticed.

The Lord of the Western Lands stood there, a few meters away at the edge of the cliff, glowing in an ethereal light against the inky background. As he gazed out at the landscape, the wind blew against him, ruffling his white and red kimono and playfully teasing the silvery strands of his long hair. He almost seemed like a god, a beautiful, heavenly being who was untouchable but anyone, demon, hanyou, or human. While most would have instantly coward at the sight of him, Kagome did not and merely kept her eyes trained on the demon. Strangely, she thought to herself, his presence seemed to soothe her, even as his youkai began to filter through her senses. His demonic aura seemed to be swaying with the wind in perfect rhythm.

A calm smile graced her lips but as the taiyoukai's head turned towards her direction, the smile faded and Kagome's body tensed slightly. Golden orbs gazed into blue and for a moment, everything becomes silent and the wind ceases. Slowly, Kagome watched as the demon tilted his head forward in a slight incline. She blinked and lowered her torso in a respectful bow. As she straightened, there was a sudden gust of wind and then he was gone.

The wind blew strongly around her body and the miko looked up at the bright moon that looked up in the sky. She could still feel the warm aura syncing with the breeze that created a sort of silent symphony. It was oddly comforting to her and she let a smile form on her lips once again. With one last glance at the spot the demon lord had stood, Kagome turned and walked back into the forest, heading in the direction back to her friends.

* * *

**End Note:** Done for Priestess Skye's Weekly Challenge on Dokuga. Week Two--Theme: Search. Word Length: 601


	3. Dew

**Disclaimer:** I do hereby disclaim any right or responsibilities for the characters used in this story. All rights are reserved for the respective creator of _Inuyasha,_ Rumiko Takahashi.

**

* * *

**

**Dew**

The rain poured relentlessly outside the cave. The sky was blotted heavily with dark clouds as the loud bang of thunder shook against Kagome's skin. She let out a breathy sigh and hugged her blanket tighter around herself then glanced at the glowing hands that told the time on her wristwatch. Her lips creased into a frown. It had been raining nonstop for nearly three hours, and it didn't look like it was going to let up anytime soon.

Kagome's eyes drifted down to the little girl lying down in front of her. The older girl's hand reached out and brushed away sweat-damp bangs from the child's face. The heat could be felt against the little girl's skin and Kagome's frown only deepened. Rin's fever still hadn't gone down.

The miko stood and walked over to the large yellow backpack that sat at one side of the cave. Her hand delved into the bag and pulled out a bottle of water, a metal spoon and a small pot. She unzipped one of the smaller compartments within the bag and took out a small packet of instant soup before heading to the fire she'd managed to start when the rain wasn't too strong. As she mixed the contents of the sachet with water, Kagome's eyes glanced up once more at Rin worriedly.

The girl continued to shiver even as she lay wrapped in two of the thicker blankets Kagome'd brought in her backpack. The beads of sweat made Rin's skin glisten as the fire flickered a soft glow throughout the cave, the red blush of fever settled on her cheeks. From Kagome's position across the fire, she could hear Rin's muffled coughs and the girl's difficulty breathing from her raspy breaths.

Earlier that day, Kagome'd just come from the Bone-Eater's well, grumbling about the score she'd gotten from her most recent mathematics test. As she struggled to pull over her yellow pack, the cold air blew against her and immediately, Kagome looked up at the darkening sky. Since the village was still a while's walk through the forest, Kagome had run to the Goshinboku tree to wait out the rain. It was then that she spotted the ward of the Lord of the Western Lands, alone and soaking wet as she sat under the God Tree. The girl was shaking and her skin was hot, so the older girl ran to a cave she then remembered was not too far nearby.

Kagome looked up across the fire and her thoughts drifted to the demon lord who she'd cared for nearly three months ago. He seemed so cold and distant, professing his detest of humans from the first moment they met, and yet in front of her was his ward. Rin was undeniably human, and from wha t the young girl had mentioned to her when Kagome had once before found her playing alone in a field and given her something to eat, a long time before the day she found Sesshoumaru bloodied and injured, that the ever indifferent taiyoukai had given her 'life'.

The miko gasped painfully as she withdrew her hand and sucked on the tip of her reddening thumb. She hadn't been paying attention and her thumb had touched a hot part of the pot. Kagome cursed silently before she lifted the pot from the fire and walked over to her bag to pull out a bowl. After pouring some of the soup into the bowl, Kagome walked back to the fire and knelt next to Rin, lifting the girl with her free arm and sitting behind her. Kagome blew on a spoonful of the soup and slowly brought it closer to Rin's lips, but the little girl refused to open her lips and turned her head away.

"W-where is... " she coughed out weakly, "Sesshoumaru-sama? Where is Sesshoumaru-sama"

Kagome paused then gave the girl a reassuring squeeze. "Rin, you have to drink this. It'll make you feel better."

"But... Sesshoumaru-sama..."

"Please Rin," Kagome said as she brought the spoon up once more. "I promise, we'll look for Sesshoumaru-sama, but right now, you have to get better, okay?"

"You really promise?"

The miko nodded.

* * *

The warmth of sunshine and the scent of fresh morning dew was what roused Kagome from her slumber. Her back ached from lying on the cold cave floor and she wished she had a nice modern bed even though she should be used to sleeping on the ground after traveling in feudal Japan for so long. The fire had long-since died the night before and only ashes remained. Kagome's hand reached beside her and immediately, she whirled her body around to find no one in the cave with her, the blankets Rin had used left folded neatly on top of her yellow bag, a ring of flowers placed innocently next to it.

As Kagome pushed herself up to stand, it was only then that she noticed that instead of the thin blanket she'd donned the night before, she was covered with a red kimono. At first, the fire-rat haori of her hanyou companion popped into her head until she saw the thread shining in the sunlight. The miko let her hand gingerly run over the fabric, then her eyes widened slightly as she looked down at the red tie that hung around her neck. It was the same red silk.

The girl quickly ran outside of the cave and looked around, the kimono hanging over her arm as she looked around the immediate area. As she turned back to the cave, she could have sworn she saw something white flash through her peripheral vision, but she didn't look. Instead, her fingers ran against the silkiness of the kimono as she knelt in front of her backpack.

Her blue eyes drifted to the flowers at the very top of her pack. Her other hand lifted it up and brought it closer to her face as she inhaled the fragrance of the petals. A smile graced the miko's lips as she looked down at the contrast of the flowers against the red of the silk. Rin was safe, she knew for sure.

At the sound of her friends calling out to her, Kagome carefully folded the kimono and stashed it deep inside her bag. As she exited the cave, her yellow pack in tow, Kagome looked down at the flowers in her hands and made her way to her companions, the red tie she wore flapping in the breeze that blew around her.

* * *

**End Note:** Done for Priestess Skye's Weekly Challenge on Dokuga. Week Three--Theme: Life. Word Length: 1,088


	4. Inhale

**Disclaimer:** I do hereby disclaim any right or responsibilities for the characters used in this story. All rights are reserved for the respective creator of _Inuyasha,_ Rumiko Takahashi.

**

* * *

**

**Inhale**

The dust that clouded the air was suffocating, a thick miasma looming above, taunting with what seemed like impending death. Sparks ignited behind the muddy fog and the shrill screeching meant that another wave of demons was coming. But it was expected from a coward like Naraku, to hide behind shadows and minions who would do the fighting for him.

Kagome squinted her eyes as she tried to maneuver through the clouded battlefield, her bow in her hand and the arrows in the quiver slung across her back rattling against the wood that held them. Her arms were bare, the sleeves of her uniform top ripped off in an earlier attack. Small scratches covered her legs and most of her body was smudged with dirt and blood.

A small yelp stopped her in her tracks and she turned around in her spot, her eyes trying to search through the dust. Then, the sounds of her friends reached her ears and she tensed in worry. Somewhere to her left, she could hear Shippou release his fox-fire attack, while Sango called him to jump onto Kirara as the whizzing of her large boomerang ran overhead. The jingle of Miroku's staff and the monk's grunts could be heard to her right as he tried to fend off the onslaught of demons. The poisonous insects that hovered around the area made it dangerous for him to use the wind tunnel in his hand.

The wind blew violently around the miko and she coughed from the dust she'd inhaled. Then a sickening laugh echoed through the air and made the hairs on the back of her neck stand. Naraku was close, she knew it. A flash of silver came from her side and the boyish voice of Inuyasha shouted in her ear. Immediately, Kagome tightened her grip around the wood of her bow as she pulled back the string, an arrow notched in place.

The air crackled with energy as her blue eyes flashed determinedly, zeroing in on the shadow that loomed menacingly at the other end of the dark field. A shock of bright energy shook the ground next to her as her half-demon comrade swung down his sword to unleash a Windscar attack. It waved across the clearing as another flash of light erupted beside her, churning around blue energy in the shape of a fierce dragon. For a moment, the dragon swirled around her body, dancing coldly against her skin before it zoomed across to merge with the yellow light of Inuyasha's attack.

Kagome held her breath for the smallest of seconds and as she released it, her arrow was sent flying. It cut straight through the miasma that clouded the area, engulfing blue and yellow with a purifying glo w. A blood-curdling scream sliced through the air and as the field darkened to a gray, everything grew silent.

The wind had stopped and Kagome stood frozen. _'Is... he gone?'_

She slowly lowered her arm as she let out the breath she realized she was holding. There was nothing. No malevolent presence that had sought out the Shikon jewel. Their battle was finally over. Naraku was gone.

Kagome turned as she heard the sigh of reliefs from her companions, a smile twitching at the corner of her lips. She turned and took a step towards the group behind her, but as she dropped her bow to the ground, her friends' expressions faltered as they shouted and reached forward helplessly towards her.

The girl's eyebrows furrowed and she turned her head in mid-step. Instantly, her eyes widened as the image of a black tendril raced towards her in slow motion. Her eyelids fluttered closed, and she braced herself as pictures flashed like a movie trailer in her mind before a blaze of numbing black was the end.

But just as the darkness swallowed Kagome up, a stange warmth erupted in her chest as a stroke of white light swung across her vision. She gasped loudly as air rushed into her lungs, her fingers digging into the dirt below her. Her eyes blinked wildly as they adjusted to the sky that hung brightly above her. She sat up in one smooth motion and instantly, her blue eyes focused on the figure standing in front of her.

Unconsciously, her hand wrapped around the red cloth that was tied around her neck, her heart beating fast as the life tingled back into her fingertips. The voices of her friends muffled into the background as her heart began to drum in her ears and the coolness of the morning breeze wafted against her skin. Long silver hair swayed playfully in the wind as molten golden eyes regarded her with constant indifference. Unmistakably, Tenseiga shined in the sunlight.

Slowly, Kagome's lips moved as her raven tresses blew across her face.

"Sesshoumaru."

* * *

**Note:** Done for Priestess Skye's Weekly Challenge on Dokuga. Week Four--Theme: Wind. Word Length: 804


	5. Threaded

**Disclaimer:** I do hereby disclaim any right or responsibilities for the characters used in this story. All rights are reserved for the respective creator of _Inuyasha,_ Rumiko Takahashi.

* * *

**Threaded**

A frown settled on his face as the fading campfire glowed in his golden eyes. The claws of his newly regenerated arm flexed experimentally, unused to the feeling of it there now as it rested on his bent knee. It felt foreign almost.

Sesshoumaru's gaze wandered silently across the campsite. His retainer was passed out beside his two-headed dragon steed, the Staff of Two Heads wrapped securely in the toad's arms. His human ward was cuddled next to the demon exterminator woman from his half-brother's pack, while the red-haired fox kit slept next to the two-tailed cat demon curled up contently in a ball. The monk slept with his back against a tree at the right side of the camp, his arms tucked into his sleeves as his head lolled to the side. The half-breed rested high on a tree branch opposite of the monk, feet dangling as the wind blew. Then slowly, the Lord of the West let his eyes fall on the slumbering girl across the fire.

His hand twitched slightly and he closed his eyes, opening and closing his fingers repeatedly. The sensation of the sharpness and energy of purification shivered across the skin of his arm as the tips of his fingers tingled. The frown on his face deepened and his eyes slowly eased open to stare at the crackling fire, watching the figure behind it carefully. The _miko_.

The young woman was fast asleep, leaning back against the tree that his half-brother was perched on. Red, embroidered silk draped over her body, the threads catching the glow of the fire as the girl slept. Her hair fell around her, curling softly below her shoulders, and framing her face with dark raven that shimmered in the campfire light. Then as a small breeze blew a few of her dark strands loose, her hands instinctively tugged at the kimono, pulling it tighter around her even as she slept.

For a brief moment, his eyes focused on her hands as they loosened their hold on the kimono and her body relaxed. He remembered the way they tugged at the hem of her skirt as she approached him earlier during a stop at a stream for water. He remembered how her slender fingers interlaced and fumbled and pulled at each other as the girl quietly spoke. He remembered the soft texture of her skin and the way her fingers tugged hesitantly at his sleeve before she ran them shyly against the skin of his shoulder. He remembered how even as the sting of her powers had pulsed coldly against his skin, her touch had been warm, careful and tender, almost like a lover's caress.

Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed and he looked away, closing his left hand into a fist as the ghost of her lingering touch crawled against his skin. Then in one swift movement, he was on his feet. Turning on his heel once, the taiyoukai silently slipped out of the campsite. His left arm swayed at his side, his hand flexing as he delved further into the darkness of the forest.

The wind criss-crossed through the trees and blew against him almost fiercely, as he weaved his way through the night, his silvery hair billowing out behind him like a ripple of waves. What little slivers of moonlight that could penetrate the canopy danced across his form in playful patterns. Then as the wind shifted directions and blew from behind him, the dog demon stopped in his tracks.

For a brief moment, as wisps of youki swirled around him in intricate patterns of white mist, he closed his eyes. The sounds of crickets and nightlife echoed all around him as the events from earlier that day replayed over and over in his mind, his fist clenching hard at the thought of the wretched seams that persisted on intertwining a frail human woman into his life. His eyes snapped open and his irises narrowed into slits as his body began to rise into the night sky.

He refused to let the threads of fate tangle him into a web he did not want to be part of. He did not need another reason to be attached to that girl…

* * *

**Note:** Done for Priestess Skye's Weekly Challenge on Dokuga. Prompt: Stitch. Word Length: 700 words.


	6. Orientation

**Disclaimer:** I do hereby disclaim any right or responsibilities for the characters used in this story. All rights are reserved for the respective creator of _Inuyasha,_ Rumiko Takahashi.

**

* * *

**

**Orientation**

She let out a sharp hiss as she dabbed cotton ball moistened with an antiseptic solution against the gash on her left knee. The skin all around the wound was an angry red and her flesh throbbed painfully. She bit her lip and breathed in slowly, cleaning away the dirt and blood to avoid any infection.

Earlier, Kagome had been making her way to the edge of a nearby creek to refill some of the water bottles she'd brought with her. But she hadn't noticed a rock protruding from the ground and ended up tripping on it, losing her balance, and hurting her knee. She also scraped both her elbows on the rocky earth when she used them to break her fall. Inuyasha had smelled the blood and quickly rushed to her aid. He then carried her back to camp, all the while berating her for not being careful.

A frustrated sigh escaped her pouting lips as she applied an antibacterial ointment to her wound. Then carefully, she placed a strip of sterile gauze on top before securing it with some medical tape. The scrapes on her elbows weren't as bad and only needed a bit of cleaning and band-aids.

Kagome packed up her first aid kit and slipped it back into her yellow back. Careful not to aggravate the wound on her knee, she moved to straighten her legs out in front of her and leaned back against a tree. Everyone was asleep around camp, and cold night breeze caused her to shiver a little. She stared into the campfire as the frown on her face persisted.

Something was wrong with her, she was sure of it.

For the last several weeks, she's been constantly distracted and as a result, she wouldn't notice she was either running into something or tripping over something. Sometimes, she was just off in her own world, not realizing that someone was talking to her. She knew she was a daydreamer, but not to this extent.

The miko sighed again and looked across the fire to the little girl sleeping on Sango's lap and to the toad and dragon slumbering beside them.

Rin, Jaken, and Ah-un had been tagging along with their group ever since Sesshoumaru had left without so much as a word. Kagome turned her head and looked at the neatly folded kimono placed on top of her backpack. Slowly, she reached over and tugged at a fold of the red kimono, pulling it towards her. It slid unfolded easily and she threw it over her body to keep her warm. Under the kimono, her hand went up to touch the fabric of the scarf around her neck.

She wondered if something was wrong, and if possibly she had something to do with why the demon lord had left so suddenly, especially since she had been the last person to speak with him. Or perhaps she was just worrying too much.

Kagome slid down slightly into a more comfortable position, leaning her head back to read against the tree behind her and closing her eyes. Whatever it was, she hoped Sesshoumaru was all right and that he'd come back soon.

Rin was starting to miss him, after all.

* * *

Sesshoumaru's eyes opened slowly as the breeze pushed against him. It whipped his hair around him almost violently as he stared down at the small speck of flickering light in the distance. He let his eyelids fall and he took in a deep, quiet breath, inhaling the smell of the night and the forest all around him. The scent of plum blossoms was faint, but it wafted up to him almost teasingly and his eyes shot back open.

A clawed hand curled into a tight fist and the frown on his face deepened almost automatically. He had deliberately distanced himself from _her_, but it wasn't long till he had found himself compelled to travel back to his hanyou brother's pack. The miko had some sort of strange hold over him that he could no longer deny. Despite anything he did, the demon lord just couldn't get her out of his mind, or out of his _dreams_, for that matter.

Slowly, the taiyoukai turned and disappeared into the darkness. Sesshoumaru was going to find out _why_.

* * *

**End Note**_: I apologize to readers who were following this story. I know I haven't updated in such a long time, but no fear! It's not dead yet! There are more chapters to come soon! _

_Done for the Skye's Weekly Challenge on Dokuga. Prompt: Dreams. Word Length: 711_


End file.
